Justin Scanlan

Associate Professor Justin Scanlan is a leading occupational therapist and researcher in mental health recovery and occupational therapy practice at the University of Sydney's Faculty of Medicine and Health. He serves as Head of Discipline, Occupational Therapy, in the Sydney School of Health Sciences. Scanlan's academic qualifications include a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (BOccThy) from the University of Queensland, Graduate Diploma in Mental Health Science (GDipMentalHlthSc) from the University of Melbourne, Master of Health Management (MHM) from UNSW Sydney, PhD from the University of Sydney on time use and health among unemployed 18- to 25-year-olds, Graduate Certificate in Educational Studies (Higher Education), and Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA). Before joining academia, he was Professional Senior for Occupational Therapy in mental health services within Sydney Local Health District. His career at the University of Sydney began as Lecturer from 2012 to 2016, advancing to Associate Professor.

Scanlan's research focuses on occupational therapy interventions for individuals with serious mental illness, addressing cognitive barriers to performance, mental health recovery processes, sensory approaches, reduction of seclusion and restraint in inpatient settings, the Recovery Assessment Scale – Domains and Stages (RAS-DS), support for voice hearers, psychosocial disability and the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), and fall prevention in mental health populations. He has authored over 110 publications, accumulating more than 2,500 citations on Google Scholar. Notable publications include "Relationships between burnout, turnover intention, job satisfaction, job demands and job resources for mental health personnel in an Australian mental health service" (Scanlan & Still, 2019, BMC Health Services Research, 706 citations), "Job satisfaction, burnout and turnover intention in occupational therapists working in mental health" (Scanlan & Still, 2013, Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 416 citations), "Sensory approaches in mental health: A scoping review" (Scanlan & Novak, 2015, Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 167 citations), and "Recovery Assessment Scale–Domains and Stages (RAS-DS): Its feasibility and outcome measurement capacity" (Hancock et al., 2015, Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 109 citations). Scanlan has contributed to funded projects, including a $557,000 Medical Research Future Fund grant for consumer-led research. He received the Sydney School of Health Sciences Teaching Award and Publons top reviewer recognition. In professional leadership, he is the New South Wales practitioner member on the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia, co-chair of the Australian and New Zealand Occupational Therapy Mental Health Academics network, and convenor of the 2025 Occupational Therapy Australia National Conference and Exhibition.

Professional Email: justin.scanlan@sydney.edu.au